Seeking Security? Its a Normal Hierarchy Need

You probably have heard of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

In 1943, Abraham Maslow proposed the human pyramid of needs. The interesting thing about these needs is that, with the exception of your physiological needs (food, water, etc), your body will not give a physical response in the absence of higher level needs, other than being anxious or nervous.

One definition of the word “security” literally means freedom from anxiety or fear. It got us thinking, “Why feel anxious or live in fear? Everyone should feel safe and secure, and have peace of mind.”

The Basic Needs of Security

Safety and security are pretty basic needs when you really think about it but often overlooked. For example, a few weekends ago I woke up craving a burger (level 1 needs), so my boyfriend (level 3) and I set out to find the most perfect burger in Chicago. Later that day, I was scheduled to shoot a photo shoot for a theater company (level 4 and 5 needs). When I returned home and eventually went to bed, guess what? I had forgotten to lock my front door (level 2 skipped over). It dawned on me as I lied in bed that something wasn’t right. My level 2 internal alarm bell was ringing, and I immediately got out of bed to check my front door.

Safety and security, as a basic need, are easy to overlook. Security means to be free from danger, but to be free from danger, we must take necessary precautions to protect ourselves. Before we skip over to our self actualization, make sure the front door is locked.